A shortage of Republican poll workers is partly to blame for why the Prince George’s County Board of Elections still needs to hire and train almost 1,000 election judges before the Nov. 7 general election, according to the county’s interim elections administrator.
“Recruitment of Republicans is very tough in Prince George’s County,” Robert J. Antonetti Sr. told County Council members during a meeting earlier this week.
The county needs at least 206 Republican judges, one for each polling precinct, as well as alternates.
Carmen Camacho, a Prince George’s Republican, said she and others in the party know that challenge all too well.
With only 48,463 registered Republicans in a county of more than 432,000 registered voters, Camacho said the party’s senior citizens, working families and younger members have hesitated in taking on the demands of election day.
“It is getting very, very difficult,” said Camacho, head of the Prince George’s Hispanic Republican Club, of finding party members to staff polling places. “It’s a very long day.”
Camacho said the party’s central committee didn’t foresee a such a large recruitment shortage.
“As soon as we get over the election the central committee is going to have to take a look at this,” Camacho said.
Time is the biggest obstacle facing would-be poll workers. Camacho said. Older party members sometimes are physically less able to put in a 12-hour or more day, Camacho said. New families joining the party often have young children, Camacho said, which again limits the time they can put in for an election. Camacho said recruiting teens sometimes works, but not always.
Although Camacho will be working for the campaign of Republican Senate hopeful, Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, on election day, she’s got a few election workers already signed up.
“I’ve got two that are going to have to volunteer — my kids,” Camacho said of her 20-something sons, one who is making a special trip from Miami. “If they want to eat for the rest of their lives.”
